Now this is going to sound really weird to you guys, so bear with me.
I was talking to a former Electrician colleague of mine tonight on the phone, who told me about a job he has to go and do in the morning.
Apparently the customer wants to have a remote control switch installed next to his bed, so that he can turn off the power to his house when he goes to bed.
(I told you it was weird!) [Linked Image]
This won't be an easy task, considering that the switchboard is at one end of a large house and the bedroom is at the other end.
OK, what my mate wanted to know was this, is it possible to replace the existing main switch with a contactor?.
I said sure, but the supply for the control circuit would have to come from the Line side of the Contactor and that for a fact is something that I know you aren't allowed to do, fused or not. [Linked Image]
Any equipment here up to the Line side terminals on the main switch are Power Company property and they don't tend to like people (including Electricians) joining other wires onto thier Meter Tails, so I'm not sure how he's going to get around this one.
I have some reservations about using a contactor in the first place, in that what happens if the contactor welds itself shut one day (as contactors can do).
I'm of the opinion guys, to always give the customer what they want, as far as the Reg's allow, but surely there are limits?!.
How would you go about a mission like this?.
Oh and by the way, I'm told that this particular guy isn't short of a dollar or two.